The Africa Cup of Nations continues to underline the growing influence and success of African coaches, with AFCON 2025 firmly extending a trend that began in 2019.
Softfootball gathered, Since 2019, every AFCON champion has been guided by an African tactician — Djamel Belmadi with Algeria, Aliou Cissé with Senegal, and Emerse Faé with Côte d’Ivoire. The 2025 edition is now guaranteed to add another African name to that list.
Notably, all four teams that have qualified for the AFCON 2025 semi-finals are coached by Africans, with no European coach remaining in the competition:
- 🇸🇳 Senegal — Pape Bouna Thiaw
- 🇲🇦 Morocco — Walid Regragui
- 🇳🇬 Nigeria — Éric Chelle
- 🇪🇬 Egypt — Hossam Hassan
This milestone further highlights the tactical growth, confidence, and belief in indigenous coaching across the continent.
As of Saturday, January 11, 2026, the tournament has also delivered plenty of entertainment on the pitch, with 119 goals scored in 48 matches, reflecting an attacking and exciting AFCON in Morocco.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles sealed their place in the semi-finals with an impressive 2–0 victory over Algeria, courtesy of a brace from Victor Osimhen. Éric Chelle’s side now faces a stern test against the host nation Morocco, who knocked out Cameroon in the quarter-finals.
With African coaches firmly in charge and quality football on display, AFCON 2025 continues to showcase Africa’s strength, both on the touchline and on the pitch.
